15 February 2014

Wal Mart

Even with its blocky white letters now strewn on the ground, we can't help but recognize the old corporate logo of Walmart, the retail giant whose stores reach across twenty-six countries internationally. Artist Trill Zapatero's creation, Wal Mart, now open at Art India Gallery, curated by Quan Lavendar, presents a building very much in decay, its doors boarded up (although you can kick in the one on the back, which is great fun) and its windows smashed. Great trees now grow out its foundation, thrusting their branches through the once-formidable concrete walls. Rusted letters for The Ritz, high above, look down on the scene.

But not all is doom and gloom: inside we discover a colorful, idyllic cultivated garden filled with ferns, flowers and places of repose. Graffiti-covered walls, perhaps once part of the decay, now become part of the rebirth, melding with the hues of the foliage around them. Even some materials have been repurposed: for instance, a set of old tires has been transformed into a chair (image above, click to zoom in). Don't miss the small loft area overhead.

If you enjoy Trill's work, you might want to stop by the Art India Gallery Shop (about which I recently wrote here), where a large assortment of her distinctive lamps are on sale, and works by other artists are also on display at the gallery—there's a teleport board at the landing point. Wal Mart will remain on display for at least the next two months. Please consider leaving a contribution to help support the gallery if you enjoy the exhibitions.